The Aftermath
by wellme
Summary: The war is over and a new life begins for Ron and Hermione. But how easy is to leave the past behind and restart? Post DH. Hermione's Point of View. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

**THE AFTERMATH** **Author's Note: That' s my first story ever and I can say that I feel kinda nervous. I wanted to write this for so long. It's post DH from Hermione's point of view and I hope you like it. Forgive my poor English but I'm not an English speaker**** thank you all!**

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately I don't own Harry Potter… Everything belongs to the marvelous J.K. Rowling…**

**Constantine X **

Chapter 1: the first day of the new world

The war was over. Voldemort was dead. They were all safe. Why all this pain had to replace all the relief that they were supposed to feel? Hermione was searching deep down in her heart trying to find the joy… She caught herself unable to do that…

Wherever she was looking she was seeing sorrow and grief. The Great Hall was full of people who were mourning for their beloved ones who lost their lives trying to build a better world. Looking around, Hermione was spotting more and more familiar faces lying on the floor still, lifeless, dead.

And then the anger hit her. That was unfair. Life is unfair. How were they supposed to handle all this loss? How can life be so cruel? They went through so much. The last year was like hell; feeling nowhere safe, being always in danger, waiting for your death every single day, wondering if it is your turn to die. All they were looking forward was the end of this madness. And now they were just there and it didn't feel right.

Trying to escape of her own thoughts, Hermione started running and running with no destination… The Great Hall was taking her breath away… She couldn't face all this pain… She couldn't see the sorrow painted on the faces of her beloved ones… On _his _face… She knew that she had to comfort him, try and take the pain away but she couldn't get herself to do that. Just not yet. She knew that she was childish but she couldn't help it. But she also knew that she had to get out of there and hope that when she comes back she will be strong enough to stand by his side…

After wandering for hours in the surroundings and clearing up her thoughts Hermione decided to return to the castle. The castle was empty and a comforting silence was all over the place… She walked slowly without meeting anyone in the corridors and after ten minutes she reached the Griffyndor tower and the portrait of the Fat Lady… It was opened since yesterday so she entered expecting to see an empty Common Room. Looking around she realized how much she missed the sense of this place where she had spent so many hours in it. Her eyes wandered in the room and suddenly spotted a certain redhead sitting on the couch in front of the fireplace looking emotionlessly towards the fire. Immediately she felt nervousness travel in every cell of her body and she tried to fight the urge to run to her dormitory. But being a real Griffyndor Hermione decided to stop playing coward and talk to him. That was the time to be strong for him and help him recollect his pieces.

He didn't seem to realize her presence so she got closer. When she was close enough she decided to let him know that she was there. So while her heartbeat was rising dangerously she opened her mouth to talk hoping that her voice won't let her down.

"Ron" her voice came out very soft and not louder than a whisper. He shook his head slightly and Hermione waited for some kind of an answer. But no response. Maybe it was a bad idea but she didn't back off. She felt the Griffyndor courage boiling in her blood as she tried not to stutter, needless to say, unsuccessfully.

"R-Ron" Hermione said this time with a smaller voice if it was possible. She waited some painful moments for him to respond but as the time was passing and he wasn't moving or talking she decided to give up trying and leave him alone for the time being.

"Stay", while Hermione was turning to go, she heard his voice, small and hoarse like he hadn't talked for hours.

Then again she turned slowly and saw him looking straight at her. And then her brown eyes met his beautiful blue sea eyes that Hermione was in love with since she was a little girl. A love that not only didn't fade but also grew bigger and deeper as the years passed. These eyes that they were so warm and they could see straight through her heart, this exact time these same eyes were hiding so much pain that she had to fight the urge to gasp.

Hermione walked slowly towards the couch and sat next to him without breaking eye contact. They were staring towards each other like it was the first time they met. She felt unable to take her eyes away. The comforting silence, the flames in the fireplace and them. It seemed so right.

And then out of the blue he grabbed her small hands and put her in his arms. As her head was lying on his chest she could feel his steady breathing. She could hear his heart pounding and she smiled at the thought that their heartbeats matched. And as he was holding her in his warm arms Hermione knew. This is where she felt safe; this is where she wanted to be.

After a couple of minutes Hermione turned to look at him. She caught sight of his eyes looking at her so lovingly. And all the untold words about their kiss seemed unnecessary. Every single doubt about his feelings towards her disappeared. And then she was sure. Everything will be okay. After she explored his handsome face for some moments she rested again her head against his chest thinking that her heart might burst from love and relief.

"Don't leave", he whispered in her hair; the sound of his soft voice filling her heart with warmth. "Don't ever leave".

"I won't", she whispered back; her voice small but steady.

And just like that the two of them closed their eyes and fell asleep holding each other tightly.

**That's all…I know it's short but hopefully there's more to come… I hope there are no errors… I hope you liked it…Unfortunately I won't be able to update soon because I am leaving on vacation… Please leave a REVIEW…**

**Thank you all!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note: Here is the second chapter of this story. At last! I don't have too much time so I am starting writing. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately I don't own Harry Potter… Everything belongs to the marvelous J.K. Rowling…**

**Constantine X**

Chapter 2: Clearing out thoughts and making plans

The clock showed ten minutes to eight when Hermione woke up. The sunlight had already filled in the Common Room making the gold and red furniture look even brighter.

The brunette was feeling so exhausted that she couldn't get herself to open her eyes. Her eyelids felt very heavy and her whole body was in pain. Her mind was so tired as it was full of thoughts: last crazy year, the battle, the unbearable deaths. All these heartbreaking thoughts were still fresh.

And also the insufferable questions about tomorrow were haunting her brain: What now? This question has been wandering in her mind since the end of the battle. Her future seemed so unsure, so undefined. She never thought that her life would be like this, nevertheless, she always considered herself to be a fan of planning.

Doing a flashback in her childhood life, she remembered her seven-year-old self saying that she will graduate from the law school with straight A's, she will become a first-class lawyer and she will get married to a smart and well-educated man. She always had dreams and made plans for the future, dreams and plans that she was only sharing with her mother.

Her mother… How much she missed her mother… How much she needed her… She needed to lay her head on her lap and let her caress her hair. She always loved that. When she was a little girl she even thought that her mother had magical powers as she could stop the time and vanish every single problem into thin air. Right now she wanted to talk to her mother, to let out all the feelings, to cry hard into her arms, to sob even…

But now it was not the time to miss her parents. She didn't have the luxury to get all emotional and weak. She always hated being weak and it was definitely not the time to get drifted by her feelings. She had to be strong so that she could build her future from the beginning. She knew that it wouldn't be easy to restart but she also knew that she wouldn't be alone in this. She had her friends, the Weasleys, the Order, the D.A.'s, Harry and most of all, Ron…

_Ron_… This single word, these three letters had the power to block every other thought from getting into her brain. The sweet memories from last night, suddenly and almost out of control, barked into her mind. His tender touch, his soft voice saying these beautiful words to her, this capturing eyes looking straight into her eyes had conquered her mind denying letting every other thought filling in her brain.

Hermione thought that Ron was the love of her life- as cliché as she knew this sounded-. She couldn't remember when she reached the conclusion that Ron meant everything to her but she reckoned that the realization came a long time ago. Maybe she had known since the first time she saw him but her stubbornness never let her admit it. But right now the only thought flooded her mind was one:

_Hermione Granger was totally, absolutely and definitely in love with Ron Weasley._

This sweet realization gave her strength and made things that looked horrible before brighter and definitely sufferable. She knew that the next months, maybe years will be tough but the long trip until succeeding recover would be shorter and much easier with Ron there with her. The pain about the loss of her friends felt more bearable with Ron by her side.

And then she understood how right her mother was. Love is really the most important gift that God offered to humanity. The ability to love and to be loved is our only power and we can use this power so as to help and to be helped.

And that is what it had to be done so as to overcome all this pain and restart. This was the only way to recover from all the hurt that the war has given to them and find comfort: they had to support each other, unite their powers, be strong and courageous for one another and complete the emotional holes that the war has created to their beloved ones.

"Ron needs me and I need him. My friends need me and I need them." Hermione thought. "This is a challenge for all of us who lived the war, not for every one individually."

These optimistic thoughts made her feel stronger and the darkness in her heart seemed to get replaced by light. The fog in her mind disappeared and the sun arose in her thoughts. She had to build her future and, as hard and scary as this sounded, she had to face reality sooner or later.

Hermione opened her eyes and the bright light blinded her for a while. After getting used to it her eyes wandered into the empty Common Room and fell onto the sleeping figure next to her. The brunette caught herself exploring his peaceful face like a hungry woman: his manly hands, being implicated with hers, his fair eyelids, his uncountable freckles and his lips. These beautiful full lips that she had kissed so passionately two days ago and that she was burning from desire to repeat this divine action. These thoughts made her feel too hot as much as she wanted to deny it.

She was eighteen after all…

**That's all for me. I think that it might be boring but I wanted to write a chapter about Hermione's thoughts. The end kind of sucks but anyway… Please REVIEW…**

**Thank you all!**


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